August 2020 Experiences at Unt Jazz by Roger Villines
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Issue XX August 2020 experiences at unt jazz by Roger Villines Before moving to Pensacola in 2003, Kat and I lived in One of the highlights of attending the UNT Jazz program is Denton, Texas, home of the University of North Texas (UNT), playing in one of the Lab Bands, or large jazz ensembles. The where I completed possibly the longest master’s degree term Lab Band came from the historic experimental nature program in histo-ry – six years – leading to a Master of Music of often playing student arrangements/compositions and Degree majoring in Jazz Studies. exploring new frontiers of jazz. Bands were named by the In 1964, when I was in high school jazz band in Altus, hour they met: one o’clock thru eight o’clock (the last 2 Oklahoma, UNT, which was then North Texas State College, actually met earlier using a second room). The upper level was my dream college to attend. I auditioned and visited the bands met in the Kenton Hall Monday thru Thursday. All the campus, listening with awe to a concert that featured all of bands were very good to excellent. The top one o’clock and their Lab Bands (that’s what they called their large jazz/ two o’clock bands were highest level professional quality. Placings, band and part/chair (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.), were by put on hold. audition each semester. The jazz staff would deliberate our stage Thirty bands). some Mostly years for later, financial the dream reasons, reappeared. that dream I could was audition performances and assign placings in the various afford it. I had an opening in my schedule. And they bands. The results, typed on 8.5 by 11 sheets of paper, approved my admissions application. There I was – an over would then be posted in the foyer of Kenton Hall for all to 50-year-old, re-tired U.S. Air Force aviator (25 years) with a see. Hundreds of students would mass around the bulletin rather old Music Education Degree, some old band directing board to see what their fate would be for the upcoming experience, some musical talent and experience, and a 30- semester. I remember being happy and sometimes sad at my year old Conn Constellation trumpet that I had resurrected placing. I was mostly in a solo position (4th or 5th trumpet and was working to sound better on. So enter I did – to a part), which I liked, in bands ranging from 6 to 3 o’clock. musical world full of young, highly talented musicians from I was often disappointed to not make the one or two o’clock bands. It was considered the UNT badge of honor And why did it take me six years to graduate? Well, for and ultimate sign of success. I worked and tried hard and oneall over thing, the earning World. Boy,a masters did I fit degree in. in jazz studies at UNT gave it my best – and never made it. Once, I felt really good going into the auditions – this could be the year, I told at the un-dergraduate level. That means you either show up myself. I looked at the placing sheets and found my name as forrequires your provenmasters proficiency program as or a requisite professional course jazz completions performer 4th trumpet in the 4 o’clock lab band. Not only that, but one listed on a Downbeat Jazz Poll, or you have earned a suitable of the trumpet soloists in the one o’clock was a freshman. It undergraduate degree in jazz, or you have to take most of turns out, he was really good. Welcome to the competitive those UNT undergraduate courses in progressive order – world of jazz. you can’t just skip from Improv 1 to Improv 4. The latter Staying in the upper two bands could also be a challenge. option was my road to the mountain top. But hey, I had some time, and it was a fun journey. participation. I remember a young trumpeter who made the UNT Jazz Studies was like a musical meritocracy. Neither They were very unforgiving of any lapses in proficiency of students or faculty cared about your non-musical experiences or credentials. Your previous rank in the U.S. Air Force or newone o’clockguy was and in placein the the first next week day. announced to Neil Slater your leadership and management experience or your age or that Once he whenhad a Iconflict was in withthe 6 one o’clock of the band scheduled the lead concerts. trumpeter A lots of other things made little day-to-day difference. It was from the one o’clock substitut-ed as lead with our band. The all about your last jazz solo or arrangement or other school rule was, if you can’t be at a rehearsal, you must arrange a performance in a very competitive environment. Neil Slater, substi-tute. No exceptions were allowed. Your honor was at then head of Jazz Studies, conferred with me well in-to my stake. Anyway, he was sight reading, so you might expect an program, that getting in was one thing, getting out with a occasional small error. None were made. He played perfect. degree was quite another. Dan Haerle, a renowned pianist I was im-pressed. and one of my instructors, told his class something like: one of our jobs here is to help you in making your career choice I remember, and learned a les-son, about what it is like to play I did in suba top in levelthe 2 ensemble.o’clock a couple The slightest of times. imperfection The first time – hold a note a little longer than the others, crack an attack, in the field of jazz. In other words, maybe it’s not really the “Experiences” Continued... best for fit you. 1 “Experiences” Continued... not perfectly in tune in a unison section – made you stand and it is repeated in the next phrase. We have already left autumn and are in the cold winds of winter. Mercer’s version your best skills and atten-tion to the task at hand. When has only the chorus without the beginning portion. In the greatout like players a shark do fin this at – the great beach. music You happens. are motivated to bring French original, there is no mention of “autumn leaves” in The Lab Band music library was huge and diverse. Lots of the chorus. original charts from famous big bands. Stan Kenton willed The story goes that Mercer wrote the lyrics in a his library to UNT, and we played quite a few Stan Kenton hurry. Michal Goldsen, director of Capitol’s music publishing charts. Always copies, never originals, which were of course department was nearing the deadline before his four-month quite valuable. Kenton charts were fun and exciting to play. option on the song ran out. He pressured Mercer to write Characterized by BIG sound. BIG climactic parts with VERY some lyrics in English. Mercer wrote them in ten minutes LOUD brass with VERY HIGH lead trumpet parts. And by while waiting for Goldsen to give him a ride to the train the way, the 8 UNT jazz bands were all set at Kenton size: station. Mercer understood no French and had only a basic 5 saxes, 5 trombones (with 2 bass trombones), 5 trumpets (solos split between 4th and 5th players), plus piano, guitar, tears. The song earned Mercer the most of any music for bass and drums. whichidea of he the had story. written Yet his lyrics. words made Goldsen’s eyes fill with I remember playing Bill Holman’s Malagueña in a 3 O’clock Lab Band concert at a high school in Dallas. Very exciting! song to catch on in the US. Then in 1955, Roger Williams’ So there you have it. I did graduate (that’s what DG really recording Jo Staffordhit a million recorded sales it andfirst. the It tooksong astayed while foron the means), and we moved to Pensacola, mostly because of the charts for 6 months. Later recordings by Stan Getz, Bill beach, but also attracted by the musical and jazz scene in Evans and Chet Baker helped the song become a jazz classic. our beautiful area. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the 6 years experience at UNT Jazz. And, for those inter-ested, I plan to write more Book Review: Jazz Beats Encore: More about some other UNT experiences. Next up: improv classes notes on classic Jazz by Lew Shaw and play-ing in UNT jazz combos. by F. Norman Vickers Autumn Leaves by Carolyn Tokson The jazz standard “Autumn Leaves” as we know it in English is a very different song from the French original. The Hungarian composer, Joseph Korma, met the lyricist Jacques Prévert in Paris. As with so many other lovely melodies, Korma borrowed some of the melody from a by Jules Massenet’s “Poeme d’octobre”. Together Korma and PrévertRoland Petit wrote ballet “Les pasFeuilles de deux Mortes” which or “Thehad been Dead influenced Leaves” in version seems to point only to a short summer romance and The Book Cover for Jazz Beats Encore: More Notes on Classic Jazz, a1945 separation for “Les of Portes the lovers. de la The Nuit”, original a 1946 French film. The is the American story of by Lew Shaw. two lovers who seem to have had a much longer relationship and who lived together. “But the life separates those who Lew Shaw is a multi-faceted writer, having a dual career as love, too quietly, without making a noise,” the lyrics go.